Combined container and stirrer



Dec, 24, E35. J P. CROASDALE, JR 2,025,379 I COMBI NED CONTAINER ANDSTIRRER Filed Aug. 25, 1954 If r fly 7 {we/1507'" F 6: @PfiroaSdaZeJi;

Patented Dec. 24, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John P. Croasdale,J12, Philadelphia, Pa., assignor of one-half to Anne Spencer Shaw,Chestnut Hill, Pa.

Application August 23, 1934, Serial No. 741,053

3 Claims.

The invention relates to combined container and stirrer.

The object is to provide an improved container with a device adapted tostir or mix the sub- 5 stance contained therein, said stirrer providedwith actuating means having a part projecting through the wall of the.container, with means for maintaining a hermetic seal between said.projecting part and the wall surrounding the same.

The invention is especially adapted for use with viscous materials suchas paint, varnish or the like, in which the components of the materialare liable to separate, and of which some of said components areextremely volatile.

It has long been the practice to provide a hermetically closed containerfor such materials, so that the more volatile ingredients may not bepermitted to escape and so cause a deterioration of said mass ofmaterial.

When the container is opened, it is customary to use a stick or othersuitable instrument to stir the contents so that the said ingredientsmay be again thoroughly mixed before using. As

the container is full, or nearly full or material it is difficult toperform this stirring or mixing operation without splashing or spillingsome of the material from the can. It has also been found that, afterthe can is opened, and only part of the material is used, the materialrapidly deteriorates because of the escape of said Volatile ingredients.

It has been proposed to provide means for stirring or mixing thecontents of the container before opening the same. This requires thatthe shaft of the stirrer must project through a wall of the container sothat a crank handle or other actuating device may be associated withsaid stirrer outside the container.

Until it is desired to operate the stirrer, the

part projecting through the Wall of the container must be hermeticallysealed thereto for the reason, as above stated, that there may be noescape of the fluid or volatile ingredients of said material duringstoring and transportation.

It is also desirable that the seal shall be maintained after thestirring operation, in case only a part of the contents is used.

In large containers, such as barrels, drums or casks, the usual gasketor stuffing box has been proposed. Such devices however are expensive,and as the gaskets are usually of more or less porous material, whileserving to prevent serious leak of liquid, will not prevent the escapeof g volatile gases, especially when the. same are under pressureslightly above atmospheric.

In the use of small containers, such as quart, pint and half pint tincans, sold at a very small price, such means would be prohibited becauseof 5 the cost. In connection with small tin containers it has beenproposed to seal the shaft with the surrounding wall of the container bya soft solder, which seal may be readily broken by rotation of thesmooth actuating shaft. The op- 10 .eration of soldering is also quiteexpensive, as it must be practiced with care. It also has the objectionthat, when the seal is once broken, it

is impossible, after using a part, to protect the remaining .contentsfrom deterioration by evap- 15 oration.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a hermetic seal,between the shaft and the container Wall, which shall be extremelyinexpensive to make and to apply, and which may 29 also be employed tomaintain such hermetic seal at all times, before, during and after thestirring operation; a seal that will prevent the escape of volatilematerial, even when the same is slightly above atmospheric pressure, dueto tem- 25 perature or other conditions.

Referring to the drawing which illustrates, merely by way of example,suitable means for eifecting the invention;

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a can with my so improved construction.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of same.

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the sealing body, on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 4 is a section on line i, 4 of Fig. 3. 35

Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view showing the assembly.

Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are diagrammatic-views, on a still larger scale,showing the processes of assembly and the resulting regions and degreesof compression.

Similar numerals refer to throughout the several views.

In the example shown, the can or container It is provided with theclosure or lid l I pressed into 45 position with the can to provide ahermetic seal therebetween. The lid It is provided with the depressionl2 and a centrally disposed opening 13. The opening I3. is provided witha downwardly projecting tubular flange It. a

The stirrer or mixer I5 is connected in any suitable way with theactuating shaft I6. This shaft has a part M which projects upwardlythrough the opening l3, and is then bent over to 55 similar parts Figs.6, 7, and 3.

lie flat upon the top of lid i l, and below the outer peripheral marginof the lid and can. This part of the shaft which lies flat upon the lidis bent into U-shape with the two parallel extensions l1 and H. Theouter extension I1 is adapted to be lifted into the vertical position,as shown in Fig. 5, to form a crank handle for the shaft actuation.

A formation or plug 28 of preferably resilient, compressible material,such for example as cork, or rubber, or other fluid tight substance orcomposition, which is softer than the metal of the shaft and thesurrounding" wall of the lid, surrounds the shaft and projects intoand'through the tubular flange it of' the opening l3, in the lid H.

This plug 2!] is preferably provided with an axially disposed channel l9extending into the plug from the upper face or end thereof, partlytoward the other end. This channel I9 has a diameter substantially lessthan the diameter of the; shaft to. The plug has an enlarged upper part2!, a downwardly extending part 22 of less diameter and a slight ridgeor enlargement 23 at the bottom. The extension or part 22 is of diameternormally greater than the diameter of the tubular flange M of openingI3.

Assembly and operation diameter of extension 22, causes a compression ofthe formation 26, graduallydiminishmg in density from its periphery, asindicated by thelining in This compression causes a slight extrusion orexpanding of the'lower 'em [larged part 23 outwardly beneath the lowermargin of flange Hi, also as shown in the said figures.

This also tends tohold the semispherical part 2! in pressure engagementwith the depressed part I2 of lid II.

The shaft 56 is then forced into the channel l9 and, as the shaftdiameter is greater than the diameter of'the channel, the material ofthe plug is put under compression radially, in the region surroundingthe shaft. The density of this compression gradually diminishes towardthe periphery of the formation 2%, so that the density ofsaid formationis greater at the region adja- Y the shaft it, thus increasing thedegree or density of compression of material adjacent to and surroundingthe shaft at the lower end of the plug or formation 28.

The oppositely directed compressions, and the degrees of compressions,in the said regions surrounding the shaft and surrounded by the flange,2 leave practically no uncompressed parts in said region extending fromthe bottom of channel I9 to the bottom of the flange [4. This double compression also causes a further extrusion, or pushing out of the annularenlargement 23 beneath the bottom of flange it, as shown in Fig. 8; Inthis way an extremely efficient hermetic seal is produced between shaftand flange at the critical point or line, that is, where the leak of thevolatile content would naturally tend to start. The projecting annularpart 23 beneath the lower end of flange I4 also serves to lock theformation 20 in opening l3 and flange l4, against accidental 10displacement, as for instance, when lifting the extension I? as abovedescribed. This hermetic seal between the flange it of the opening l3and the shaft l6, due to the cooperating oppositely directedcompressions, is suflicient to resist or prevent the passage of volatilecontent, even when the pressure inside and outside the container differ.

Another distinct advantage of this arrangement is that the shaft may berotated indefinitely without departing from'its normal vertical'position, that is without rocking and hence tending to breakthehermetic seal, which seal will always be assured by the compressionsreferred to. In

' accordance with the means described, after a part of the contentshas'been used; the lid'may'be replaced and the seal betweenshaftandflange will be as effective as ever.

The production and assemblyof the parta -as herein described, areextremely simple and inexpensive; in fact the cost is only a fraction ofa cent per can.

To operate the stirrer, a finger is p'la'cedand pressed upon theextension I7", adjacent'the top of the plug, while the outer end ofextension I1 is lifted, thereby bending the wire and providing a crankhandle for rotating the shaft.

What I claim is:-

1. In combination with a'hermetically sealed container having ashaftopening inits" wall, r40 stirrer within the container, a rotatable shaftconnected to the "stirrer and having a part projecting through saidopening, means for rotating the shaft; and means forming a journalbearing for said shaft, comprising a resilient and 'com pressible bodywithin the opening under substantial and constant compressionin'direction's radial to the axis of the shaft but having unconfined endportions on'both sides of the opening, said bearing adapted to maintainthe shaft"substantiallyfi perpendicular to the plane of the surroundingwall and to maintain a hermetic seal-between the shaft and said'surrounding wall while permitting free'rotation of the shaft.

2. In combination with a hermetically sealed' container having a shaftopeningin its'wall, a straight cylindrical flange associated with saidopening, a stirrer within the container, a-rotatable shaft connectedto'the stirrer and having a part projecting through said opening, meansfor rotating'the shaft, and means forming a journal bearing for saidshaft comprising a resilientand compressible bodyhaving a portion withinthe opening under substantial and constant com.- pression in directions,radial to the axis of' the shaft, and unrestrained portions at both endsof said cylindrical flange, said bearing adapted to maintain the shaftsubstantially perpendicular to the plane of the surrounding wall; andtolmaintain a hermetic seal between the shaft and said surrounding wallwhile permitting free rotation of the shaft.

3. In combination with a hermetically sealed container having'a shaftopening in its Wall, s

stirrer within the container, a rotatable shaft connected to the stirrerand having a part projecting through said opening, means for rotatingthe shaft, and. means forming a journal bearing for said shaft,comprising a resilient and compressible body within the opening undersubstantial and. constant compression in directions radial to the axisof the shaft, said body formed with an axial channel extending part waytherethrough, the shaft extending through the channel and through thematerial of the body beyond the end of the channel and in alinementtherewith, so as to displace the material in amount corresponding to thedimensions of the displacing part of the shaft.

- JNO. P. CROASDALE, JR.

